Before the internet boom of the 21st Century – the term ‘freelancer’ was for the most part associated with freelance journalists who would eke out a living by selling their newsworthy captures to the broadcasting corporations of that time. When the mainstream internet happened – it bridged the communication gap like no other technology before it had ever imagined possible. Suddenly, it became possible to collaborate in real time with each other from anywhere in the world at the touch of a button, and that is how the opportunity for online freelancing was born. Ever since online freelancing came into play – the number of online freelancers around the world has continued to grow tremendously – a phenomenon that appears set to radically restructure the job sector.
Today, the online freelance sector has grown stable enough to attract serious investments from corporations that are interested in outsourcing as a means of cutting production costs and harnessing the abundant talent pool within the freelance arena. Subsequently, as with any growth; the players in the online freelancing industry have been compelled to evolve in terms of professionalism and skill to meet the demand necessitated by the level of growth. In my honest opinion, starting out as a successful online freelancer now and beyond is a matter of thorough research and strategic positioning due to competition and also because the online markets are not as predictable as the ‘offline’ markets. If you are a newcomer to online freelancing, the ideal place to start would be in content mills such as Upwork and Fiverr et cetera as these places will likely expose you to the skills in demand as you also study how the other already established online freelancers get ahead.
There is something for everyone on the internet – but nearly everything has some type of learning curve including opportunities such as forex trading, crypto currencies et cetera. The good news is that if you are already skilled or invested in something offline that can add value to others when shared on the internet; you can then share it through channels that reward you for growing an audience that can be targeted by advertisers. Having your own website to give your offline business an online presence can also have a positive impact on the growth of your business or even result into a successful ecommerce channel. When you have your own website as an online freelancer, you are not bound by the limitations of offering your freelance services through someone else’s website – and that means you can be able to set yourself apart and make an optimized presentation of your skills to prospective clients without the crowded environment of competitors within a content mill.
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